Candidates for Trenton’s mayoral race have started campaigning, but how many residents will actually vote? In the 2010 mayoral election runoff, 11,632 out of 39,221 (29 percent) of Trenton’s registered voters cast their vote, a slightly higher turnout than the 26 percent (10,276) who voted during the mayoral general election.

Considering that the city’s population of voting age was 63,600, only about 18 percent of them participated in an important election. Is low voter turnout something the candidates should worry about?

Trenton’s election results followed the national trend. A recent study found that, on average, 25.8 percent of voters participated in the mayoral elections of 144 U.S. cities from 1996 to 2011.

Low voter turnout is common in America and some recent research has linked significant policy patterns to voter participation. Low voter turnout may lead to skewed spending policies that favor a few, as well as to lower representation of Latino and Asian-Americans in city government positions. There is no incentive for local officials to consider the interests of groups who do not vote or are unable to vote.

In Trenton, it isn’t surprising that a mayor who won an election with 7,257 voters (representing 9 percent of the city population) is troubled by accountability issues. Mayor Tony Mack’s corruption charges weigh heavily on the 2014 election. Candidates have promised to be ethical and upright once elected. Unfortunately, no guarantee exists that they will honor their words. Each candidate must demonstrate a willingness to be accountable to every resident and not just the few they think will vote. This can be accomplished only if they understand the different groups making up Trenton’s population and stakeholders. They should know that:

• 62 percent of residents are renters.
• 38 percent of businesses are owned by women.
• 37 percent of the city speaks a non-English language at home.
• 36 percent are under the age of 25.
• 22 percent do not have health insurance.
• 15 percent are disabled.
• 25 percent are foreign-born.

These statistics should be guiding their campaigns, but none of the candidates demonstrate an understanding of the city’s residents. None of the available campaign materials show interest in issues facing women and entrepreneurs. None of them address the concerns of Trenton’s renters, a group representing more than half of the population.

Although one-third of the city is under the age of 25, not much has been said about how to improve education and employment opportunities for young people. One candidate mentions the word “education” only three times on his website and offers no education platform. Another offers only two sentences on his website of actions he will take to improve education.

More than one-third of the city speaks a language other than English at home, but there are no campaign materials in another language, such as Spanish or Polish, two languages that are helpful to know in order to read some of the business signs in the South and North wards of the city.

Even more alarming, no one has mentioned issues of concern to the foreign-born population. Immigrant issues are not just a federal concern. New York, Philadelphia and Jersey City are examples of nearby cities that have opened offices that work to integrate immigrants and multicultural communities, ensuring their participation in civic matters.

The issues facing Trenton, particularly voter engagement, are not black and white. And yes, crime and economic revitalization are very important issues, but candidates are not excused from ignoring other issues important to voters and for failing to communicate with significant groups within the city. The main thrust of previous elections has been to win the election, not to engage voters. To improve the city, candidates must make community integration a priority.

The candidates must take action if they are interested in changing Trenton’s current pattern of uninterested voters and skewed policies. The U.S. Census reports that 18 percent of Trentonians are not U.S. citizens, meaning they are unable to vote. Candidates could, for example, sponsor orientations on the naturalization process and help applicants study for the civics exam.

Candidates can also sponsor events that target Trenton’s young people. Candidates can easily encourage activities such as the debate team, but they should do more by establishing a thorough and thoughtful education platform. For example, candidates can offer to establish civics classes for students at all levels of the school system.

The data reflect Trenton’s diversity. Candidates must educate themselves about the different groups in the city and develop platforms for women, entrepreneurs, the disabled, etc. Their campaign strategies must change to be as inclusive as possible. It is the responsibility of every candidate to make the 2014 election different from that of 2010.

Rudy A. Rodas, Esq., is an attorney interested in urban, education and immigration issues. He is a graduate of Trenton Central High School, Class of 2004. He can be reached at rrodas@rodaslaw.com.